Ladies Of The Evening
by trishaj48
Summary: The police have had a string of murders, each one is a prostitute. Sara, once again, steps into the role of human bait. Gil’s reactions may just surprise you. As always, I own nothing associated with CSI, its writes and producers have that privilege.


_Just a short one, but hope you enjoy it. I am working on two other ones also._

Last month Sara had asked for some personal time. She had told Gil she wanted to follow up on an answer to an e mail form someone who said they may be related. Gil knew she had been trying to find out about her family so reluctantly he approved her leave of absence.

"I'll only be gone a couple months," she had told Gil that night before she left.

"I know," Gil said, with a smile, "That's why I want seconds, I'm not going to be getting any love till you come back." Sara kissed him tenderly and gladly gave into his needs, once more that night and first thing in the morning also.

At work Gil seemed to only be half there, the rest of the team joked with him about it. "You're a mess without her," Warrick said. Gil only grunted.

Jim stuck his head in Gil's door, "It looks like we have another one. A dead hooker was found in an alley between the OPEN DOOR BAR and the LAST STOP convince store." Gil cursed. "But it seems we may have a witness this time," Jim went on to say, "Another hooker ran to try to help and she was beaten, she is in the hospital."

"I'll check her out," Gil said starting to stand.

"Let Catherine have that one," Jim said, "You go to the morgue."

Catherine looked at Jim, he never overrode what Gil said. Quietly Jim whispered, "It's Sunshine."

"Damn," Catherine said, walking out the door.

As Jim turned to follow her he turned to Gil, "Someone she knows."

Gil nodded and headed off to see Doc Robbins.

Jim caught up with Catherine, "Gil has a right to know." "I know," Catherine said, "Let me go check on Sara, you know she doesn't want Gil to know that she went undercover."

Jim pulled in a deep breath as he remembered how it all started. Two months ago the body of a prostitute was found in an ally behind a bar. The case went cold quickly, there was evidence but none of it led anywhere. Two days later another one was found, same as the first, lots of evidence but nothing that was useful. There have been ten so far it was obvious a serial killer was on the loose.

The police force had set up a task force that included undercover officers hoping to pull the man out into the open. Gil never approved of using "human bait". Because of what happened the last time Sara volunteered to help the feds she decided it best not to tell Gil. Sara's request to help was approved by the under sheriff. Sara had to think of something to tell Gil that would explain her absence so she made up the story about the e mail contact.

Jim and Catherine were the only ones who knew, Catherine was very uneasy about the whole idea, she hated keeping secrets. "Gil is going to have a fit when he finds out," Catherine had told Sara when she told Catherine of her plans. Sara had just laughed, "He'll not find out from me. We'll just catch the bad guy and it will be over."

"What about trial?" Jim asked. "Darn, I forgot about that," Sara said, "Your right. But by then we will have him and it will be to late for Gil to say anything."

Reluctantly Jim and Catherine agreed to give Sara the month she wanted. "You do what you need to do," Jim said to Catherine, "I'm going to tell Gil." Jim turned and walked away ignoring Catherine's pleas to wait.

Jim found Gil going over the evidence that had been collected from the dead prostitute. "Catherine find anything helpful on the other lady?" Gil asked with out looking up. Jim shuffled his feet and sort of grunted. Gil knew his friend long enough to know that this meant something was wrong and he did not know how to tell him.

Gil looked at Jim pointing to a chair he said, "Just spit it out."

Jim cleared his throat and started. "The under sheriff had set up a task to pull the serial killer out into the open," Jim started, getting more nervous with each word.

"I heard," Gil said, with a note of total disapproval in his voice.

Jim cleared his throat again, "Each lady was assigned an area to walk and a car with two officers was assigned to keep an eye on her."

"And where did our remarkably stupid under sheriff find women to go along with his plan?" Gil asked.

"They are all members of the force," Jim said, trying very hard to get the words out. Gil stood grabbing Jim by the shoulders he yelled, "Tell me Sunshine is not who I think it is! Tell me she is not Sara." Jim's mouth opened but words would not come out.

Gil cursed and started to the door, "Come with me and I better know everything by the time we get to the hospital."

In the car Jim told Gil everything about Sara's involvement. "Who approved of this?" Gil asked, "I am her supervisor and no one asked me."

"Sara went to the under sheriff, she knew you wouldn't approve," Jim said.

"Your damn right," Gil said, trying to calm down, "Where were the officers who were to protect her?"

"Miller and Green's car was broadsided by a drunk driver. They were both knocked out so Sara had no way of knowing she was on her own," Jim said, "When she seen Kelly being attacked, she ran over to help."

"She didn't have her weapon?" Gil asked.

"How many hookers carry a gun?" Jim said, "She had to play the part."

Gil parked his car getting out and heading toward the hospital he was not sure who he was more upset with. Sara for doing it or the under sheriff for approving it.

Standing by the nurse's desk the men saw Catherine. "Sara is being tended to by the doctor," Catherine said, "She would not let anyone touch her until I got here to process her." "How is she?" Gil asked.

"Cuts and bruises," Catherine said, "She was hit in the side of the head and passed out. I can only assume the man thought he had killed her."

Gil was pacing and trying to think, he knew what needed to be done but Sara was all he could think of.

"Sara scratched and bit him," Catherine said, "I did fingernail scrapings so there is DNA, I'm on my way to the lab with it."

Gil looked at Catherine, "I'm sorry. What did you say?" Catherine repeated herself. "Yeah ok," Gil said.

Jim walked up behind Gil, "Miller and Green will be ok." "Who?" Gil asked. "Miller and Green, the officers who were following Sara - the ones who's car was broadsided."

"That's good," Gil said, "I'm sorry Jim. I just can't think of anyone but Sara." Jim touched Gil's shoulder, "She'll be ok."

The doctor came out, "Mr. Grissom?" "Yes," Gil said.

"Miss Sidle will be fine. Her assailant hit her in the side of the head with the handle of a pistol causing her to lose consciousness that may have saved her life. Miss Willows collected DNA evidence and has Miss Sidles clothing."

Gil slowly walked back to Sara's room, he wanted to make sure what he had to say came out the right way. Gil walked over to where Sara was sitting and tenderly kissed her.

"I'm sorry," Sara said. "You are going to be alright," Gil said, "That is what is important."

"We got him," Sara said, that is all that is important." Gil looked at her, "We don't have him."

"We will, all the time he was hitting me I was scratching and biting him, that is why I would not let anyone touch me till Cath got here to scrape my fingernails and collect my clothing. They are both full of his DNA."

Gil pulled in a breath, "Sara you know…."

"Yes, I know how you feel about 'human bait' but there was no other way of catching this man and he has to be stopped."

As soon as Gil had heard the doctor say that Sara was going to be alright he decided not to argue with her, Sara is strong willed and independent and nothing he said was going to change that.

Then Gil smiled, "Sara. You are who you are, I can't change that - I doubt I want to. Everything that makes you who you are makes me love you all the more. What I had started to say was, Sara you know that I love you and there is no one else in the world I would rather spend the rest of my life with. Sara Sidle, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Sara mind went totally blank, how many times had she dreamed of this, had she fantasized about Gil asking just this question. Gil shuffled his feet - was he wrong about her feelings?

Sara took his hands, "I was expecting you to have something to say about what I had done but I never expected it would be that."

Gil stood unable to move or speak as he waited for her answer.

Suddenly her arms were around his neck and her lips on his in a deep and passionate kiss. Slowly she moved her lips from his to his ears. "Yes my love," she whispered, "Yes."

The End


End file.
